To Fight Monsters
by Koriember
Summary: Why are things this way? Because I am... because humans are weak? So weaklings can do nothing but cry? What are you going to do if the ones with the strength don't fight for you? Do you watch as humanity slowly falls to this nightmare? Or do you, titan-shifter, realize that you too have the strength to fight back? To redeem yourself? Or will I fight alone against these monsters?
1. Is your Blade Sharp?

Is Your Blade Sharp?

* * *

3:24 PM, Forest of the Giant Trees Perimeter

_Mikasa drew her last sword from her gear. She was out of gas, so she chopped off her harness. It would only slow her down._

_"Tatakai. Tatakai. Fight. Fight. If you are to win, you must fight. If you fight, then you can win." If she didn't fight? She would lose. She would die. Eren would die._

_She was alone. Eren lay unconscious on the ground next to her, and Hannes lay in pieces in front of her. Thanks to Reiner, the titans would soon be coming for them. Her blade was shining in the light, glimmering with hope of the blood of titans it would spill. Her body was battered, but she had felt worse in her days as a soldier. Now she was the only thing standing between her brother's killer and her brother's body. She had no chance to survive. No, she had no choice but to survive._

_But what was the point of living if her purpose was not clear?_

_Mikasa's had had emotions swirling around in her head before, but during combat, they were fatal. She had, in vengeance, tried to strike down Annie and that only resulted in Levi's injuries. Now, her duty to protect her brother was at odds with her instinct to survive. Horses, not more than half a mile away could be seen._

_She could make it._

_But not with Eren's body._

_Eren was wounded even more severely than her; His arm was broken from punching the Smiling Titan. Sure, he unlocked the powers of the Coordinate but the sheer force from doing it, along with the mental toll of commanding a creature 10 times his size had rendered him unconscious. His passion, it seemed, was the key to unlocking his potential as a Titan-Shifter, as costly as they were to himself._

_His rage to kill monsters, no, exterminate them had turned him into a monster himself._

_His anguish in having his squad, his friends, and his mentor stripped from him had set him, and his emotion, in an inferno._

_And watching Hannes die, he found that he could control and impose his will upon the monsters he vowed to kill, and that was when he passed out._

_Mikasa had deja vu of her moments in the breach of Trost. In her emotion, she had killed Titans but had ran out of gas, and found in herself the strength to draw her blade even between two Fifteen Meter class Titans. But Eren had saved her then, and She never repaid that debt._

_She had failed to save him from his dismemberment in the Middle Guard._

_She had failed to save him from Levi in the courtroom._

_She had failed to save him from Annie, and the scene of him getting caught between her jaws as painful as being there._

_And in those moments, she had found the strength to stand up to giants and cut them down._

_She had been in this situation before, but now, Eren was spent and no one would save her._

_No different. She would save **him** from a hopeless situation, just like he had done for her countless times. This time she would pay her debts in full._

_One titan eyed her while the rest of them followed the escaping Scouting Legion. _

_Dark eyes._

_ Dark hair._

_ Hideous smile._

_ Long beard._

_ 15 meter class._

_ Mikasa ran toward it, knowing she would fight to the end. As swift it would allow her to have. Or as ruthless as she would give the monster in front of her._

_But the end came as a foot came down behind her, and in a scene of deja vu the ground around her shook as the titan that threatened Eren was eliminated efficiently by the rogue titan behind her. She sighed in relief, Eren had managed to turn twice. He was improving his skills, just as she was. _

_Wait, he was still unconscious on the ground. Then who was above her?_

* * *

_9:00 PM, Nagase Village _

_A man in a large raincoat and a formal hat stepped out of his carriage and curtly walked towards a small house. He wasn't impressive in appearance, standing short of most grown men in the district. His coat was old and so were his shoes and pants. His hair was matted and in need of grooming. His journey had been lengthy and tiring, but that did not stop him on his quest to this town. The village was much like Shinganshina, but the walls were absent, as said village resided around the river instead of along Wall Rose or Wall Maria. As such military presence was much less than Shinganshina, while at the same time it felt more secure. There were no Garrison guards to bully the populace, but this town felt more cultural than his own._

_Dr. Jaeger knocked thrice before taking a step back. A middle aged man greeted him as he opened the door, and shaking his hand he also took the doctor's hat and coat and hung them on the rack. Words were exchanged, and soon enough Dr. Jaeger opened his case and took out his medicine. The cure, he pondered, to a disease that was unknown. Or was it a vaccine to a growing plague? It had been administered only once, and he wasn't even sure if it was the proper dose. In this village, he would use the rest of his personal supply, enough for three people. Thankfully, the doctor had an eye for knowing who to give the cure to. He could see the same burning in his patient's eyes that he saw when he gave his first dose, just a few weeks ago._

_The symptoms of the disease he was curing? He wasn't sure. Jaeger had visited Nagase years ago and met three individuals who fit the description of his liking. Young, strong, and each their own varying personality, the doctor had taken notes for research and experimentation. Now, he was back to administer the cure._

_ Naturally, as children were, the patient would be given the dose during the peaceful state of sleep. That way, Jaeger considered, they wouldn't know they had been treated. Either way, they didn't know they were sick either. His first client had taken the medicine while still conscious, and struggling at that, and that complicated things as the racing heart rate and lack of relaxed muscles led to the substance coursing through his veins faster than it should have, causing unnecessary symptoms. Which may also have wiped his memory and caused him to go blind for a few days, along with a nearly fatal fever._

_Thankfully, the other three took the medicine well, though the household members seemed suspicious of a man injecting a family member in their sleep, as his work had been rather clandestine of late but his work was done here. He would resupply in his carriage and move on to the next city. It would be another 3 week journey and he wasn't particularly thrilled for it. After all, it was about 200 kilometers to the next district, and new towns meant new diseases to diagnose. He had given the last of this certain medicine in this town, but other sicknesses as the cold and the cough were still rampant in this season. His horses would require rest and food. So, Jaeger realized, did he. A night's rest wouldn't hurt. A good meal and perhaps a couple beers sounded very appetizing in his state. Yes, he would rest here._

_Jaeger woke up with a light headache but a full stomach, and proceeded to make his way to his carriage. The driver lived in this village so Jaeger had to maneuver his way to the next district on his own. Not necessarily difficult, but it would be tiring and the possibility of getting lost between districts was most likely not pleasant. He exited his inn, and was about to drive off when he heard murmurings. Two children had gone missing in the middle of the night, and not a sign pointed to any direction. The few Garrison soldiers that were stationed in this town questioned everyone. Naturally, the doctor had been taken aside but he was found innocent he left, promising that he would keep an eye out for the children on the road and return them if he found them. Not that he was happy to. His work was long and strenuous and prolonging the time would only separate him from Carla, Eren, and Mikasa longer. He had best get going along before the sun made its peak._

_The ride was for the most part uneventful, though Jaeger often had dreams of his children and wife. His son? In the Scouting Legion? Yes, Eren had initiative but he wanted to join for the wrong reasons. Adventure and strange lands often piqued his own interest as a child, and soon, Eren would pass that phase. His son was not a killer, well except for those two rapist murderers but that wasn't the point. The Recon Corp were full of hardened veterans who's intercourse with death had not gone unnoticed by the crown. It would soon be disbanded at the rate that lives were lost and progress was not made. Eren didn't belong in a death house. Perhaps the child would follow the doctor's footsteps and practice medicine. It would pay well and it was a good trade. Not to mention the fatality rates were much, much lower.  
_

_And Mikasa? The girl never left his side whether on a trip to the market or a trip to the bathroom. They fought sometimes as siblings did, but their bond was inseparable. He had better luck spreading his wife's legs after his last argument__ than he did trying to separate the two siblings. They were good together, he supposed.  
_

_4:30 AM, Old Kurushina_

_Soon enough Dr. Jaeger arrived at the village, but he immediately sensed something was wrong. This town was larger than Nagase, but it seemed to be evacuating for something? Why here? Was there a war? Or perhaps a deadly pandemic he didn't know about? He pulled aside the nearest Garrison soldier and asked what was going on._

"Haven't you heard? Wall Maria has been breached! Titans have entered Shinganshina and we are recalling all civilians within Wall Rose! Make use of your carriage over there and help some people out!

Shit.

Shinganshina? His home had fallen to titans? He could only pray that his family and friends were safe.

"Tell your men to use my carriage for the evacuation. I'll take one of the horses and head back to Shinganshina."

"Are you insane? You will get eaten the second you step inside the town, as if it hasn't been left standing!"

"I do not plan on surviving, but I need answers." Dr. Jaeger made his way to the commanding officer and, after identifying himself with his well known reputation, the doctor requested details on the attack.

"It happened a few hours ago. Some titan just kicked open the walls and another smashed through the gate! It's total shit in there! Shit!" He brought over a Scouting Corp member, who was still fatigued from his travel from Shiganshina.

"It's nothing we've ever seen before!" The scout was delirious, and most likely going insane. "I mean, he just reached over the wall like he was toying with it and kicked open the gate! He had to be at least 60 meters to stand over it. Goddesses, I can't..."

"Was there anything else!?" Jaeger demanded, and the Scout gulped as he responded.

"Another abberant, 15 meter class. He seemed to be covered in hard armor and just smashed through the inner gate like it was made of twigs!"

"Shit." Jaeger thought he had an idea of what was going on, and he felt like he had answers to his own questions. And everyone else's. He untied one of his horses and immediately rode for Shiganshina.

"Where are you go-" The Garrison captain questioned.

"I think I know what happened, and I don't plan on returning. Use my carriage and horse for the evacuation effort, soldier."

"Shit, are you stupid? Damn, he's gone."

"Shit."

* * *

_8:30 PM, Refugee Boat_

_Shit._

_Shit shit shit What the hell goddessesdammit. Fuck titans fuck titans I..._

_Eren was in a constant dream state, except the dreams were nightmares. _

_Long emaciated fingers grasping her mother._

_Blood spraying as he crushed her spine and bit down._

_Why couldn't he do anything?_

_Why couldn't he fight back?_

_Was he weak?_

_Was he scared?_

Mikasa stared out past the water and towards her burning town. Shinganshina lay in ruins, with titans coming in through the breach and many more already inside the city. It was night, but she could still see the smoke and fire after 2 hours of sailing. Most of the passengers of the ship they were on had fallen asleep, weeping to themselves or to their neighbor, and many of them fell asleep on a stranger's shoulder. Mikasa and Armin had no room to sleep and instead stood leaning on the rails. It would be another 3 or 4 hours until they reached the inner walls of Rose.

"Where's Eren?" Mikasa asked the blonde, who turned and scanned the bodies around them. Tear streaks had long gone from the short aryan. His blue eyes weren't as bloodshot as everyone else's, but his mind was racing and his heart was still pounding from what he had been exposed to.

That was the outside world?

Why would his parents want to go to a world lik-

"Armin." He came back to reality, and pointed behind him.

"Probably not on the main deck. Last time I saw him he was crying on the roof."

"Should we check on-"

"I wouldn't," Armin suggested, eyeing the water as if there were something interesting there.

Mikasa sighed, leaving Armin and trying her best to avoid hands and legs as she climbed up the deck and reached the second floor. It was more of a ceiling as there was no natural way to get up there besides climbing. Eren lay there, his fists bleeding and the surface around him dented. No doubt punches of frustration, he had cried himself to sleep.

The girl kneeled at his side and held his hands, cleaning them off with her scarf and wrapping them with strips ripped from the bottom edges of her skirt. Eren seemed even in sleep to be restless, and his shifting and mumbling did nothing but justify that.

"I... I will kill them all." He whispered to no one, and everyone. He woke up with a start just as Mikasa put her hand on his forehead. He was burning and crying and his eyes were bloodshot.

"**I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU** **ALL!" **He screamed, pounding the ground and startling Mikasa, Armin, and nearly everyone else on board. Restless chatter was heard among the recently awaken passengers.

"Hey shut the kid up!"

"Haven't we heard enough from him already?"

"Where is that bastard anyway! Find him and toss him to the titans!"

"That might stop them and shut him up at the sam-" He was swiftly taken down by the Garrison officer on board.

"We will not have this aboard this ship. That boy has probably been through hell just as most of you. Maybe even worse. I suggest you to be citizens, no, humans and settle down."

"So what? He's just being a brat and waking the rest of us! Why does he get special tre-"

"He doesn't." The Garrison officer stared the man into the eyes, and the civilian backed off. "Is he a man, that can brave the coming storm that has already swept away his home? Or is he a boy, cowering behind nothing but the memory of his parents?"

"I- fine. But shut him up anyway!" The civilian went back to idle conversation with his neighbors.

"I'm sorry about him," Mikasa apologized, "He's feverish and he's having a nightmare and-"

**"NO! THESE TITANS WILL PAY FOR KILLING MOM AND EVERYONE ELSE! I WILL KI-" **Mikasa quickly silenced him with a chop to the back of the neck and gently put him back on the surface of the roof.

"We all should get some rest," Armin suggested, lying down by Eren's side. Mikasa did too, gazing into Eren's unconscious face. Even in his comatose state, his brows were angled and his teeth were biting against each other. His nose was running and his temperature was definitely high. She cuddled close to him, not only to keep herself warm, but to keep him feeling safe. No... To keep her feeling safe.

* * *

_9:01 PM, Shiganshina District, Jaeger Household_

_Mikasa huddled against the wall of Eren's room. He was eating dinner with his family and she couldn't eat. She couldn't feel any appetite. She felt no emotion at all except guilt. Still struggling with the trauma of losing her parents, and the horror realizing she murdered a man, she sat, shuddering and biting on the scarf she wore. It was so beautiful and warm, she thought. She closed her eyes when suddenly the door to Eren's room opened. He walked in, with a plate of food and a glass of milk._

_"Eat."_

_No. She never spoke, just shook her head and bit onto the scarf._

_"I..." Eren sat down next to her feeling just how cold she was. "I want to thank you for saving my life."_

_"..." Mikasa just opened her eyes and stared at the wall across from her._

_"I... Want y-you to stay." Eren stuttered. He put his hand around her shoulders and held her awkwardly._

_"Why?" She finally mumbled, still shivering._

_"I-uh... I don't know I just..." Eren took his hand off, awkwardly staring at the same wall she was._

_"Why?" Mikasa pleaded for an answer, tears coming from her sharp dark eyes. "What purpose is my life? My parents are gone, and now I'm all alone in this cruel world!" She got up and made for the door. Eren kicked it closed and got in her way._

_"I don't know I just want you to stay!" Eren locked the door and looked at her pleadingly._

_"Why would I want to live in a world so cruel and disgusting? Why would you!?"_

_"This world is full of monsters. I always had nightmares of monsters." Mikasa stopped, listening, and Eren continued his story. "I thought there were monsters under my bed or outside the walls. Maybe in the woods i would meet one, or maybe if I dug deep enough I could find one. Never did I think that I could defeat one."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I found monsters today and I had to destroy them. To protect you. And doing that I became a monster!" She pointed at her hands, as if the blood of the murderers were still there. Of her murderers. Her murder._

_"So did I," Mikasa argued. She pushed Eren aside and made for the door._

_"Please don't go Mikasa."_

_"Why do you care about me? You don't know me!"_

_"I care for you because you saved me!"_

_"But I became a monster in the process!"_

_"No, I don't think so."_

_"What?"_

_"My parents taught me that humans have always fought each other and the world would be a better place if humans simply fought together against monsters. Today, I... We, were together against those monsters. And we won!"_

_"But... They were human too-"_

_"No, they weren't. They were monsters that looked like humans. Beasts that needed to be put down like a dying animal. They threatened my family, so I did the things I had to avenge them."_

_"I thought you didn't meet them before? How could they threaten your family?"_

_"This morning," Mikasa shuddered at the memory, "I found my sister alone and surrounded by monsters. They wanted her to be sold for their own gain, and I felt the need to protect her. I saved her and she saved me."_

_"Sister?" Mikasa's tears flowed freely at this undeserved kindness. Eren nodded, smiling now. His green eyes were a little teary and so were her warm black ones._

_"I'm sorry I couldn't save your family, Mikasa. I just hope you can stay in ours bec-" Mikasa tackled him to the ground in a hug sobbing and Eren could feel her wet tears and her hot breath against his neck and shoulder. They stood there in their embrace and soon her breaths became less ragged and her tears stopped to flow._

_He could feel her heartbeat and he held her in that position until she started to sleep. Eren found himself falling asleep too in her comfortable embrace, though her warm breath and calm movements kept him awake_

_"This world can also be beautiful.". He got up gently and sat with her, her head on his shoulder._

_"Eat."_

_Mikasa looked long at the bread in front of her and picked it up._

_"..." She bit into the tough bread and realized how weak she was. Eren ripped off a piece and gave it to her._

_Together, they were strong._

* * *

6:40 AM, Refugee Camp West, Abandoned building complex

"Eat." Mikasa held the bread to Eren's mouth, but his mouth wouldn't move. The refugee camp was reeking of piss and shit and blood, but Eren was numb to the smell and numb to the emotions. "Eat," She repeated. "Eat and you will survive."

"I will not survive. I will kill them all! Even if I die!" The same green eyes from 5 years ago were as bloodshot as ever, and they bored into hers and she was forced to keep her ground.

"Where do you think you will get that strength then? From crying? From mourning? Eat." Mikasa's black eyes tried to match his stare, but he wasn't concerned with her at them moment.

As scary as Mikasa's eyes were, Eren's face was elsewhere. Armin was weeping alongside the wall, clutching his grandfather's hat and his bare feet scraped against the pavement, dirtying his callouses even further.

"Eat."

"No. You eat." Mikasa tried shoving the bread in his mouth but his mouth stayed closed.

"Eren..." He got up and left her, and she was forced to follow. Still holding his bread, her bare feet matched his along the refugee camp's pathways. Eren watched as his body droned every step he took, and he was cold and numb. He couldn't feel the pebbles biting into his heels, or the hunger that gnawed at his body. He did feel, however, Mikasa's watchful gaze behind him. He turned, still indifferent.

"If I eat, I will only become hungry again."

"If you eat, you will survive. Survive and you will kill the Titans."

"I don't want to survive Mikasa. If I kill all the titans, they will never threaten us anymore!"

"Oh, and not eating will help you do that?" Mikasa challenged his tone and he stopped, finally realizing how stupid he had been sounding.

"No..." He grabbed the bread and bit, sitting down on the cold dirt, letting out a disappointing sigh. Mikasa smiled next to him.

"When I enlist Mikasa, I will kill the Titans and you will survive. Maybe you could make a family and not have to worry about monsters and-" Mikasa put a finger to his lips and shushed him.

"When you enlist, Eren, I'll be enlisting too."

"What?"

"I swore to protect you and when you kill the Titans, I'll be killing them right alongside you." Eren shook his head, scared at the thought of his beloved sister being forced to face those monsters.

"No no no no! you can't! You deserve to have a family and-"

"The only family I need... No, want, is you."

"Mikasa..."

"We're only 10, Eren. Why should I care what family I'm going to have? Aren't we still going to be together?" Eren raised his eyebrows, confused. Mikasa and him raising children in a peaceful world?

"You mean, as my wife? Mikasa... You're my sister!"

"But I can't imagine myself with anyone else..." Mikasa held his arm and Eren still nibbled at his bread.

"I... I can't worry about that right now. I have to kill the Titans first."

His attention turned to other developments around him.

First of all, Armin had disappeared from his wall, so either he had decided to follow them or he was somewhere else. Glancing around, he decided the blonde had picked the latter choice. He then turned his attention to the soldiers around the site.

The Garrison regulated order in the camp, and after the departure of the unfortunate 20%, it was quiet and mournful. The Garrison understood this, but they understood even more that the food that would be spread among them will help them survive.

So, when a couple young thieves stole some bread, the Garrison decided that the lines they were crossing were necessary ones, but chased them nonetheless. With their little knowledge of the city and the fact that they were fleeing on foot, and they had 3D Gear, they apprehended one of the subjects who tossed his bread to his accomplice and bravely faced off against the Garrison squad. They did nothing to him though, but the youth was cornered and he defiantly stared them off.

"Easy easy, he's just a kid," The captain waved off his squad, and they stepped aside. The boy was pretty tall, but his blonde hair was dirty and sweaty. He reeked of some foul odor that pierced through the usual fecal scent of the camp.

"What's your name, kid?" The captain asked, kindness still showing in his voice.

"Reiner. Reiner Braun." The child was quite muscular too for someone his age. He stood at the guard's nose while most children stood at his breast or neck.

"And why would you steal bread?"

"Because I need to help my friend survive. I've done worse... Much worse things than steal from a snobby vendor who eats his own storehouse when no one is watching!"

"You think you're tough kid? Families are still starving and you're dealing extra portions to your own? That won't work!" The squadmate was quickly shushed by the Captain.

"I'm not trying to be tough," Reiner mumbled. "I'm trying to get my mind off the things I've done."

"Who was the other kid with you. The tall lanky one?"

"Ber- I don't... I can't."

"Wait," One of the squad mates blurted, "I know you. You're one of the kidnapped kids from Nagase! Bertold Hoover! Is he the other?"

Eren immediately started to listen intently. He had heard of the two children from the village that disappeared without a trace. How did they end up here? They were at least 50 kilometers from Nagase! Was Nagase attacked by titans before Shinganshina?

"Yes... Our, uh- captor was killed by uh... Titans. He would keep us locked underground for some reason with no food. We finally escaped but... Uh... our parents were dead and all we had was a horse and a direction to go to."

"Very well. Keep the bread, Reiner. Who else is in your party?"

"Just me and Bertold."

"I am sorry for your struggle, but you are not as special as you may hope." The captain considered turning them in, but decided to let them slip. "Try not to steal again, or I'll have to turn you in to the more... Liberal, guards."

"Yes sir. Thank you." Reiner ran off to his hideout, where Bertold was there as well, keeping two loaves for his blonde friend. Their hideout, just made last night, consisted of the framework of an abandoned building in the old part of the town were the camp resided. Three walls were upright with the fourth just tall enough to shield the wind at night. The ceiling wouldn't do much to block sun or rain, but the residents didn't care. Bertold tossed him a loaf and stared in amazement.

"How'd you get out of there?"

"They know who we were. I honestly don't know how they believed that, I'm such a bad liar." Reiner scratched his chin thoughtfully, before biting the loaf of bread.

"What else do they know?" Bertold was breaking into his nervous sweating, but he ignored it.

"Nothing else. Thank the goddesses." He stopped eating when footsteps made themselves heard outside their corner hideout. Eren and Mikasa stood there, and Reiner started to worry that too much attention had been brought upon themselves in their first day here. Eren spoke up, eyeing the two strangely.

"You two escaped from Nagase? I heard about you from the soldiers in Shinganshina! How did you do it?" Bertold looked at Reiner cautiously. The blonde nodded and Bertold elaborated their story.

"Our captor wanted us underground as much as possible, and when he was transporting us, we were wrapped in a tarp in his cart. Soon enough, he was caught between two titans and he was eaten, but the titans didn't seem to get us. As soon as they were out of earshot, we escaped and took the horse, which was still alive, back to Nagase. It was abandoned, so we had to find food and water to make it to this camp. Our horse didn't make it and well... We had to eat somehow." Reiner shuddered, still tasting the foul meat of the horse. "Anyway, we had to kick it on foot for about 10 more kilometers until we found a garrison member patrolling, and that's how we ended up here."

"And how long have you been here?" Mikasa inquired. Her scarf was still around her mouth but her lips were free.

"Just arrived last night, and damn we are hungry. And pretty ti-"

_Thud, bang, thudthud, crack thud._

_Bang Bang Bang thud thud creak._

_Thudthudthudthud bang bang Crack._

"What the hell is that?" Reiner wondered, and he finished his bread before investigating. Bertold, Eren, and Mikasa followed, and they found Armin on the ground, sitting peacefully with his grandfather's hat on his head and legs crossed. As they rounded the corner, Armin's eyes opened and he glanced quickly at them, turning back to an unseen individual that he was looking at.

"Armin?" Eren approached his friend, whispering, but Armin's hand went up and the party stopped. They heard heavy breathing, though the breathing was someone with a light voice. A girl. Armin seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with the girl, and he continued. The girl didn't seem to know the other four were close.

"So anyway, that's how I think we could improve the walls, but that's just me. Plus the wallist cult probably wouldn't let a construction worker lay a finger on their stupid idols. And even if, I don't think they could kill them! I just hope that the next time they try-"

"Oi, you talk too much," She said between heavy breaths and rapid thuds. Was she hitting something?

"Well maybe if cannons had something in them that could actually kill titans instead of just blowing them away for a few minutes, they would be better. Too bad the stupid shits don't realize that not even a metal ball flying at a titan would make that devil flinch." Reiner stopped. _Cannons._

_They were loud, louder than anything he had ever heard. And they hit hard, but he was harder, he kept runni-_

**_Don't think about it!_**

"Reiner? Are you alright?" Eren asked.

"Ya ya, just a little lightheaded. C'mon let's go." He left quickly, followed by Bertold.

"Armin?" Eren asked and the blonde looked up at his friend.

"Oh hey! I'd like to you to meet someone!" Eren and Mikasa rounded the corner, but as soon as they did, they heard quick footsteps as the elusive female ran up the short wall and nimbly jumped through into the building.

"Who was that?"

"I didn't know her name, but she was from Nagase as well I think. She seemed like a very tough fighter! Man, if only we had her as a bodyguard back in Shigan..." He broke off suddenly into tears, and Mikasa comforted him. The bullies still made him have nightmares. Damn them all. What human finds pleasure in belittling another?

Eren however still stared where the girl was standing. Something strange resonated from the area she had been punching. A strange, energy, yet she felt and sounded peaceful even as she was punching her hands into brick and still managing a conversation with Armin. Damn.

"Why can't I be tough like you two! How am I supposed to last in the Military if I can't even handle the bullies?"

"Wait Armin, you don't have to join. This is my fight-" Eren was interrupted by the blonde.

"Well, you two are. I'll have to join too."

"Armin," Eren reasoned, "You don't have to. I'm doing this because I have to, and Mikasa..."

"I'm doing this because I want to protect Eren." Mikasa stated.

"Yah, but you," Eren sighed.

"You won't need to be tough Armin. You just need to be willing to accept the tools and training they give you." Mikasa comforted her friend while Eren sat down next to them.

"Don't worry Armin. With your mind, you should pick up everything quick! The Survey Corp will have to accept us!"

_The Survey Corp..._

* * *

_10:25 AM, Shiganshina District, Town streets_

_"I thought you were supporting me Mikasa! Why'd you rat me out to Mom!" Eren paced along the sidewalk as Mikasa followed him on the rooftops. It was the only way she could find him, and now she decided she would stay above him until he calmed down._

_"You are suicidal. The Survey Corp do not adventure, they kill! They die! Too many of them die, Eren, and that is why I cannot let you join."_

_"What, you're trying to protect me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then join with me!"_

_"I will do whatever you do. But I will do what is in my power to keep you safe. If my words convince you to not join the military? Then I have succeeded."_

_"And when I join the military anyway?"_

_"Then I will keep you alive. I will succeed at cost of my life."_

_"Mikasa, you sound ridiculous. Why would you sacrifice so much to preserve my own dreams? Aren't yours worth following?"_

_"My only desire is to protect you, Eren."_

_"You sound stupid."_

_"You have a stupid dream."_

_Eren stopped and glared at her._

_"What the hell did you just say to me?"_

_"I said that you joining out of wanting to die and lose is stupid."_

_"Who are you to say _

_"So what if you're my brother! Can't a man make a decision on what to do with his short worthless life?" Mikasa dropped down, subsequently kneeing Eren in the balls and kicking him in the heel, making him drop._

_"You are not a man. You are only 10. Second of all, you are not only my worthless, neither is your life to be short. Thirdly... You are not only my brother, but my friend. My protector and the one person I trust and love more than anyone else. I do not deserve to live but you gave me the chance to survive. To fight."_

_If you are to fight Eren, then I will give you, at risk of my own life, the chance for you to survive. To fight._

_To win._


	2. Are you the Prey?

Are You the Prey?

* * *

12:01 AM, Undisclosed Tunnel. Cell Block 004, Interior

Annie Leonhart. The name sent anger down Eren's spine.

Eren Jaeger. The name sent fear down Annie's.

She woke up with a start, and straight down the shining green eyes she had come to fear.

She couldn't move her legs or arms, and her neck was stuck. She could only close her eyes against the angel of death in front of her. She felt his gaze pierce past her eyes, into her very soul. She could feel his breath warm her nose as she cringed against the scent of him. The smell of a titan. A titan killer. Her killer. And thanks to whatever the hell that crystal was she could only feel him, his anger, his desperation claw towards her.

She could feel his emotion course into his voice as he uttered one word.

"Why?"

* * *

7:30 AM, Refugee Camp West, Abandoned house lobby

Reiner and Bertold stood alone in their hideout, the former panting crazily and the latter trying to calm him down.

"Whoa, Reiner, what's happening to you?"

"C-cannon... No!" Reiner gasped out, eyes tightly shut against his hands.

He jolted as he remembered the monstrous things firing at... His monstrous self.

"Forget everything that happened! We need to learn to control it ourselves if we are to survive!" Bertold sat down on the ground next to Reiner. The dust kicked up as he shifted his feet and the scratches from the rocks were only there for an instant before being replaced by a small amount of steam. Then, the scratches were gone. Reiner continued his nightmare, and even though his eyes were starting to close he stayed strong.

"I can't! It felt so real! When I ran, I didn't see the gates or the humans, I was cornered and needed to escape! How was I supposed to know!?"

"Same thing happened to me, but we can't worry about that! Annie is somewhere and we need to keep moving. We gotta control this!" Reiner shook his head and pointed out Mikasa and Armin, who were walking towards them. Eren was not among them but they didn't really care. Armin had a suspicious look on his face but Mikasa looked pretty oblivious

"You two? Where's Eren?" Bertold tried to change the subject quickly, which wasn't necessary as they didn't hear him.

"He's talking to that girl, but I need to ask you something." Reiner looked at Bertold scared, but Bertold shook it off and shakily nodded.

"Did you know her?"

"K-ki-Kind of. We saw her earlier when we first ran into the camp. We just saw her staring at the wall and it looked like she was beating it like it was some enemy. Maybe she was just getting stress off, I don't know." Reiner nodded in agreement to Bertold. Goddesses damn it that was a shitty lie. Armin looked like he didn't care about that part so Bertold was relieved.

"I see. She mentioned Nagase when I talked to her, and I couldn't help but remember you two were from there." Armin slowly pieced together his information about the two but couldn't come to any reasonable conclusion. Perhaps their supposed kidnapping was just a coincidence with the titan attack. Did the kidnappers expect the titans to attack? Or was this just some crazy idea that came to his head? The blonde sighed as his thoughts scattered into the wind, only to be stirred back to attention by the tall brunette.

"Yes, what does that mean? Many people escaped from Nagase!" Reiner thought about this. They had breached Wall Maria an estimated 12 hours after their kidnapping. Which meant that around sundown word must have got out about the breach. Of course, Shiganshina was in ruins but he wasn't sure about Nagase. There must have been plenty of time for word to spread and for people to escape. To be honest, Bertold and Reiner saw no familiar faces in the camp but it was only their second day here any-

"Only 5," Armin corrected.

"What!?"

"I think that girl, was among them." Armin knew what he needed to know now. They weren't from Nagase, or either that or the reports of the survivors were exaggerated or fabricated. These three had some connection somehow. Annie had been here for a couple days, but no sign of parents or relatives. He had seen her around but never actually put any second thought to her. Now that he met the two other Nagase kids, he tried to figure out where else that girl had been doing. Bertold shook his head, eyes looking grimly at his feet.

"No..." Annie was there with them. He saw her running away from the titans...

There were no survivors among the three of them.

* * *

7:20 AM, Refugee Camp West, Abandoned church interior

Annie took a hard fall and she almost laughed at her clumsiness.

That was close too, she had let her guard down when she talked to the blonde. She sighed as she unwrapped her hands, letting the blood drip freely into the ground. Cleaning them would have to wait, and she slunk into the dark corners of her hideout. What she had planned was after vaulting the wall she would sit on the roof, but she misjudged her weight and ate shit on the ground. Not to mention that every time she beat the wall until it crumbled, her hands would be perfect. Looking at her fingers, she winced as the steam rose and the small cuts and bruises disappeared into nothingness, only being replaced by perfectly normal skin. It scared her even more than the monsters chasing her-

She shut her mind to forget the stomping behind her, the growling, roaring, heavy footsteps.

And then footsteps. Human ones. These were real, and they were close to her.

Shit.

"Hello?" Male voice, not the blonde, but the one that startled her while talking to him. She could see his feet outside and she didn't say a word.

"Could've sworn I heard that." He walked off and she let a sigh of reli-

"Oh." She saw two green eyes peek over the wall and into hers. He pulled himself up until just his nose was over the wall, and he stood there just looking at her like she wasn't supposed to be there.

The stare they shared was maintained for a few seconds until the boy fell off the wall, making a loud commotion as he hit the ground hard.

"Ow. What the, Mikasa?"

"What is it Eren?"

"Well, I found her, but why'd you have to pull me off?" This time, Annie saw two dark eyes and a black haired girl stared at her, no expression on her face.

"She's our age..." Eren began.

"Ya, and?"

"What's your name?" Eren continued, but the girl simply sulked deeper into her corner.

"Who cares." Annie snorted as she had no where to go. Armin walked behind them and, with help from Eren, found her staring at him. Blue eyes, messy blonde... Whatever the hell that hairstyle was. She never got a good look when she was fighting the wall, but now that she could see him, that damn voice matched his body well. Little shit.

"Why'd you go?" The blonde asked?

"You were getting annoying." She lied. Armin frowned in surprise as he figured out what exactly he was talking to her about. Or rather, what he was rambling to her about while she punched the wall.

"No I wasn't."

"Shut up Armin," The green eyed boy muttered.

"I'm Eren Jaeger. This is Armin, and this is my sister Mikasa."

"I really don't care." Annie sighed in boredom, waiting for the three to leave.

"You look hungry," Eren began. Mikasa glanced at him and whispered something. "I'll give her some of mine then! I'm not that hungry anymore."

"Do you want some bread?" Eren continued. Annie perked up, confused.

"What?"

"You look pretty hungry." Eren pulled out his loaf from his pocket. Mikasa dropped down and whispered something to Armin, and she could hear two sets of footsteps leave. At least they were gone.

"I look hungry? I don't feel it." Annie rolled her eyes as Eren pulled himself all the way over the wall and fell, in the same rough manner that she did, onto his back. The bread flew out of his hand and neatly onto Annie's lap.

"I'm not hungry," She started, "You look-" Her stomach rumbled and she couldn't help but blush.

"C'mon. I've had my share. You should eat." She picked up the bread, wondering how long it was sitting in his pocket.

How long had she been here?

How long ago had it been since she eaten?

"I... Thanks." Annie took a bite and Eren watched attentively.

"What's your name?" This boy, whoever he was, had potential to be more annoying than Armin, Annie considered.

"Who cares." Eren frowned at her negativity but tried to continue.

"I don't but Armin thinks you're pretty cool." Annie laughed at his retort and played along.

"I don't care."

"You're from Nagase as well?" Annie looked up at him surprised.

"How did you know?"

"Armin told me."

"But I never told hi-"

"He can figure things out pretty well. He's smarter then he lets on."

"I don't care." Eren was about to punch her in the face. He took a breath and tried his best to continue.

"Just saying."

"..."

"..."

"What's your name?" Eren asked hopefully.

"Stop."

"C'mon, I gave you bread."

"I don't care."

"Well what do you care about?" Annie closed her eyes in pain. Everything. How could she be happy after what she had done? She had led titans inside... Shiganshina.

"How about this. Where are you from?" Annie began, turning the tables on Eren.

"Shiganshina." Annie shuddered a little and her teeth grinded against each other. There went that plan.

"Oh... I'm, I'm s-sorry..." Her eyes shut closed and even in the dark Eren could see it. He smiled grimly and recited his line that he had convinced himself was his fate.

"Don't worry. Once I join the military I'm going to kill them all!" Annie looked at his eyes, those green eyes vowing to avenge what she had done.

"And if you die?" Eren laughed it off and recited the second line of his creed.

"Then I die avenging my mother, my town, and giving my life for something I care about. You should join, you're a good fighter."

"I know. But I'm scared. I've seen what Titans can do... I've seen what I can do," She whispered the last part and Eren didn't hear it.

"What's your name." Eren stated gently, it was no longer insisting, just a calm question that he asked.

"I..." She teared a little and tried smiling at him. Picking up the loaf she hadn't finished, she looked at it and bit again. She smiled at the food and gulped it down.

"You know, it doesn't look like you've eaten in a couple days."

"I haven't," Annie replied bluntly.

"Why don't you get some bread?"

"I don't deserve it."

"Sure you do," Eren laughed, wiping the dust off his knees as he got up. "How about this," He began.

"What?"

"Well... I could get you another loaf." Annie smiled slightly, and he continued, "IF you just tell me your na-"

"Annie Leonhart." Eren smiled as she laughed a little at herself. "I know it might be strange coming from me but I'm actually pretty happy when I'm not hungry. Maybe I'm just really hungry I don't know." Goddesses, she was a shitty liar. Sure she was happy before but the hunger never bothered her. Dooming mankind and orphaning the kid in front of her? That bothered her deeply. How could she ever find the gall to even smile again? She was disgusted with herself, and even more that Eren was taking effort in being friendly.

"I don't care," Eren teased. Annie fumed and balled her healed fists and Eren gulped and backed up. "Uhh... I'll get that bread." Eren ran up to the wall and climbed it, and Annie shuddered as he fell over and landed hard on the pavement again.

"Shit. Ow." Footsteps, running, gone.

She sat down alone in her corner. Why did she open to him so easily? Did she forget what she had just done? Stop. I'm just a kid, she reminded herself.

Just a human.

* * *

_4:30 PM, Nagase Village, Farmland outskirt_

_Thudthudthud snap_

_Crack thudthudthud_

_Bangbangba- "Hey!"_

_"Your footwork is sloppy, narrow your base."_

_Thuthud-Thuthud-Th- _

_"C'mon Dad..."_

_"Screw it, we're done for today, just be back before dinner, alright?"_

_"Yay!"_

_"And try not to be so crappy tomorrow."_

A young girl ran out of the small house, her eyes glimmering and feet almost dancing, fluttering at her steps and the man inside could only watch before he turned to the punching bag that he had made. It was worn and dented, so he decided a new one should be made as soon as possible. It wasn't that hard, just a burlap sack to cover some brush and stalks, but the sack was ripped and the substance inside had quite a few dents in it from punches and kicks. The girl, for her size, was a good fighter. He was almost proud of her. If only she wasn't so radiant, she would take it more seriously. Closing the door behind him, he set to work finding suitable wood for tonight's meal and the new training dummy. With only two mouths to feed, he didn't have to worry about cooking too much.

Although, with his wife gone, he had to worry about cooking.

And he was pretty shitty at it.

He locked up the house as he left and headed to the town center. The market was a familiar place to the man and he planned on socializing as he searched for tonight's dinner preparations.

Nagase as a town was pretty small, only housing barely 200 individuals. Nearly twice as many animals resided there, and farming was good. The small military presence plus the isolation from the walls gave the illusion that Nagase was a small rural town in any country of old. But that small white line in the distance reminded them that this freedom was an illusion. There was no ocean, no mountains, no snow.

Just farming and farming and fighting and his wife getting murdered in the middle of the night and farming and more farming and teaching his daughter how to fight and farming.

He bought a couple stalks of corn and a whole sack of onions. He would steal a couple chickens so that would save some money but apart from that he had gotten what he wanted.

"Hey, Leonhart, did you hear? Your daughter's friends have gone missing? Does she know?"

He shook his head, not caring at all and headed home. His house lay on the border of Nagase so naturally it was easy to find a couple stray chickens and introduce him to his household. He could pick out Annie dancing in the fields and enjoying herself, and he couldn't help but smile. Her mother was killed when she was just 4, and for a while the blonde girl could only hide in her room, fearful of her life.

She was there when her mother was killed, and she was also helpless. Helpless to watch her mother get stabbed in the chest and her house robbed. Helpless to watch the horses leave Nagase and never return.

This was why she learned to fight.

* * *

_For a while, Annie Leonhart was grim, taking every punch as a lesson and dealing out her own with purpose. Then, she met Bertold and Reiner. The two boys, along with another, Berik, found her one day playing alone in the fields. They didn't exactly know she was a vicious fighter so when they cornered her in the grass and tried to talk with her,_

_"Ow, god dammit what!?" Reiner narrowly avoided a spinning kick as he jumped back from the girl. Bertold already lay on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose and Berik calmly backed off, watching this fight settle._

_"What do you want?" Annie smiled viciously. These scrubs were no match for her skill, and she loved the exhilaration of beating boys that were a head taller than her into the ground. Reiner threw a punch but she grabbed it with her right arm and guided it past her. Using her left palm, she chopped his neck sending him staggering back into her sweeping leg._

_"Ow-oof!" Reiner groaned as the wind was knocked out of him and Annie's boot lay on his nose._

_"I could just apply a little pressure and break your pig nose, but my dad just made these boots for me and I don't feel like getting them dirty. Now answer my question. What do you want?"_

_"Nothing anymore... Who taught you how to fight?"_

_"My dad. Who taught you how to fight?"_

_"Eh," Reiner huffed as he sat up, Annie's foot still leaning on his nose. He gently wiped it off. "You're pretty scary, it's not gonna happen again. See, my friend Bertold..." He picked up Bertold by the shirt and held him up, "Thinks you're awfully attractive and wants to m-"_

_"No." Annie stated. She walked off much to their chagrin. Bertold could only smile as his nose bled into his teeth, dripping onto his collar. Reiner shook him and laughed, and Berik joined them as they walked towards the town._

_"You still like her Bert?" Reiner asked slapping Bertold on the back, instantly regretting it as he was sweaty and dirty._

_"Y-yah..." He sighed, grasping his nose and smiling sheepishly._

* * *

Then she became cocky. Arrogant, she took her training more relaxed and at the same time, became happier.

Much happier.

Leonhart did not know whether to scold her or embrace his daughter, as his smile wasn't the only one in the house now. Unfortunately, he could only watch as her daughter grow in stature and in her abilities. At 11 years old, she still did not have any social life. Bertold and Reiner, Berik tagging along, were not even close to being considered as friends. They simply stole her company but she never needed or wanted it. She loved the field. Everything in nature she loved, the grass, the wind, the trees.

Multiple times Leonhart had to find his daughter after sunset, picking up her sleeping form from out of the grass and carry her back into the house. He even slept next to her at times, but he hated the outside environment at night. Too many bugs and shit and he always ended up with bug bites or the occasional sting, and she would wake up unharmed.

Was he a good father? He would think so. Annie thought so, and she cared for him when he got sick or when he needed help. The town saw the Leonhart family as strange. A father teaching his daughter how to fight for 3 hours a day, and said daughter not desiring the company of anyone, despite being so happy and bright? She was weird.

So naturally when Bertold and Reiner disappeared, she didn't care. Berik came to her with questions on their whereabouts but she simply shrugged him off and kept dancing in her field.

* * *

6:50 AM, Refugee Camp West, Abandoned church lobby

Annie panted as she beat the wall in front of her. Her fists were wrapped with cloth and her sweat caked her face. Her normally pale skin was now red from fatigue, but she kept fighting. Anything to get her mind off what just happened. Footsteps behind her, and she turned.

A blonde boy, not much shorter than her. Dark blue eyes, which were more or less red from tears, and not even regarding her he sat down across from the wall she was punching.

"Go away."

*_Sniff*_

"What do you want."

"S-shut up. Leave me alone."

"Whatever." She kept beating the wall, not regarding the pain in her fists nor the tightness of her breath. "Don't you have parents or friends to run off to?"

"My parents are dead and my friends are fighting each other."

"Hm." _Thudthud bang bang ba-__  
_

"What are you doing?" God his voice was annoying.

"I'm punching a wall."

"Well that's obvious but why?"

"Because I..."

* * *

**_She ran. Faster than she ever thought she could. How did she end up here?_**

**_Annie never had been outside the walls before, but this? Was this what it was like? Wide open fields filled with giant trees and abandoned towns?_**

**_And tall, very tall, monsters? Almost human like, minus their horrifying expressions and disfigured bodies?_**

**_She was terrified. And she ran._**

**_She was lost._**

**_Where could she go? Her answer made itself clear when she found the wall. There was a small hole in he wall she could get through, and she could see the city inside. That was almost too good to be true. She ran towards it, hoping she could make it inside the city before the monsters behind her caught her._**

_"Are you Annie Leonhart?"_

_"Yah, why?" The stranger wore a cloak and the hood shrouded his face. Even if it was day, Annie would've been unable to see his face. The night only made him more mysterious._

_"I need to talk to your father." Annie looked at him suspiciously. Even for a 11 year old, she was smart enough to know this man meant business. She led him from the field back to her house, but her father was already at the door._

_Another man sat in the chair across from his seat, and once he let them in he sat back down._

_"Annie... It's time."_

_"What?"_

_"I... I need to let you go." Annie looked at him strangely, eyebrows raised and nose perking._

_"W-what are you saying?"_

_"I have failed to train you enough..."_

_"What are you saying dad!?"_

_"These men... They will bring you outside the walls to save protect you."_

_"..." Annie started to back up out the door, but her father held her arm._

_"Just promise me... Survive. I don't care if you hate the world or me, but I... Please come back to me." Annie dropped her arms, tears coming out of her eyes._

_"I can't go! Why didn't you tell me about this?"_

_"Because you weren't ready! Annie... Outside these walls are monsters that have turned humanity into sheep in a pen! You are one of the few people within these walls that can fight back! That's why I taught you how to fight!"_

_"You mean it wasn't to protect myself?"_

_"It was to protect all of us. If you can fight... You can be free from these walls! Outside, there is an infinite field, oceans, mountains... If you save us, you can go there!"_

_"But what will these men do to me?"_

_"What has been done already happened. These men will not harm you. They will only train you up in the mountains where the titans cannot get you. Once you have mastered your abilities, you can save humanity!"_

**_She was fast. Really fast, and even the trees and houses flew by her as she sprinted towards the breach in the wall. She could make it. She would make it. They couldn't keep with her! As big as they were, they must have been slow. Annie almost laughed as she dashed to safety, but she realized, she wasn't human. The town lay under her chest, and every step covered at least 20 meters. Was she a titan like them?_**

**_The titans followed her inside the city, but still she had no place to go. Everywhere she went there were tiny insects, screaming and fleeing from her every step. She felt like she was screaming and fleeing too. She ran, trying to hide from the monsters, but they were everywhere._**

She came to, lying on the floor of the refugee camp. The boat was still there, docked. The refugees swarmed past her like she was just another human.

She was just another human, right? Was she a monster like the ones chasing her? No... They were gone. She examined her arm, her hoodie, her boots. Everything was human. She was safe.

The titans lost her. She lost them. But what was she?

* * *

**_He was lost. Reiner panted as he examined the city he was in. Titans were surrounding him and he didn't even know what he was. He felt his hair above his head but his whole body was stiff, probably from the soreness of running away from his captor._**

**_He saw the gate, and the boat with the escaping passengers. Wait! He needed to escape this hell. The monsters behind him were running behind him._**

**_He started to run towards them._**

_"So, what you're telling me is that me and Bertold are warriors?"_

_"Something like that." This man was pretty interesting, Reiner thought to himself._

_"And you will take us outside the walls?" Reiner always wanted to see what lay beyond the white horizon, and this man could give him what his parents never could!_

_"Until humanity is ready to follow you. When you have learned control, then you can fight."_

_"I don't get it. How do I have this power? How does Bertold or Berik have this power?"_

_"Berik?"_

_"He's the other one, isn't he? The three of us, you said?"_

_"Yes, there are three... But Berik is not one."_

_"Then who?"_

_"I'm not sure her name."_

_"Her?"_

_"Indeed. Come, wait in the cart. Once I have done explaining to your parents we will depart towards the mountains."_

_If Reiner had turned, he would have seen his and Bertold's parents lying on the ground, darts in their chests with powerful sedative. They wouldn't know where he went. Once he sat in the cart, he felt a tingling sensation in his leg, and he hit the ground._

**_And the cannons fired. Loud. Earsplitting cannons that thundered and sent their ordnance into his flesh. It felt like he was getting pummeled by a sack of bricks every time they hit, but he kept running._**

**_The gate started to close._**

**_Shit._**

**_Wait! He sprinted faster, ignoring the pain and the insects by his feet dispersed like crows from a street. He lowered his shoulder and ran through the closed gate, almost stumbling._**

**_The ship was gone._**

**_He was alone._**

Reiner came to in a field next to a boat. A man poked him and said something, and he immediately got up. Bertold was there too, shuddering and shivering to himself.

The titans had breached the wall. He was too slow. But where was he? What was he?

* * *

_Bertold screamed as his body kicked and thrashed against his captor. Where was he? Reiner and Annie were unconscious next to him, that was all he could see._

_"Hold still you little shit." He felt the rope tighten against his arms and he couldn't move. He felt the sun above him disappear and the cart started to move._

_He had been kidnapped an hour before and was being kept along with Reiner in the basement of some building. Considering most of the buildings in Nagase were wooden and simple, this must have been either the town square complex or somewhere he didn't know of. He paced around in his cell wondering what the hell was going on._

_"Reiner, you awake?"_

_"..."_

_"Shit." Bertold started sweating, a nasty little habit/condition of his, as his mind began to spin._

_The door opened again, and in came the hooded man holding another body._

_"Annie?!" Bertold recognized the struggling form immediately._

_"So that's her name. This one actually put up a fight."__He tied up her hands and feet and placed her into the cart._

_"What are you guys doing to me!? You said you were going to train me!?" The man ignored her and tied her legs, and subsequently poked another dart in her calf. Then he picked up Reiner and did the same, though the sedative was still fresh in the boy's bloodstream._

_Then he went for Bert-_

_The rope along his wrists had loosened from all his sweating, and he swung a fist at the man, who ducked and lost his balance. The man pulled out a knife, and Bertold backed up. Into another man._

_"You're pretty vicious for a kid that's supposed to save us."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"That Doctor put something in you that I really don't want to find out what. We'll release you when we get to the mountains. In here? Hell no that's too dangerous."_

_"Huh? What are you-" Bertold felt his arms being held tightly and he sighed in defeat._

_"As long as you tell me what's happening." He offered, but the men were silent._

_He woke up in the cart, and it was bouncing on the road. Judging from the heat of the sun, they had been in the cart for about three hours. Annie was awake and dazed, and Reiner was still unconscious. It was then that Bertold noticed the darts of poison in their legs, and he tried to grasp Reiner's but he was too close and his legs were too long._

_"Annie."_

_"..."_

_"Annie!"_

_"..."_

_"Shit." Bertold tried to kick off his rope but to no avail. Having an idea, he tried lurching his body in time with the bumps of the path, and he found himself moving backward. A few more times and he flew out the back of the cart, and hearing the sound of it fading into the distance he smiled. The fall had winded him but it was enough that it loosened his bindings and he was free._

_The tarp that blocked the sun flew off with him, and that was enough to make the driver notice that his prey had escaped._

_Annie and Reiner, both close to the sides, nearly flew out the back as well when the driver made his sharp turn. Bertold easily was outpaced by the cart and he was cornered. The driver looked at him almost in caution, but he pointed outside, towards the wall._

_"You guys aren't ready to come back in there! Not until you've mastered your power!" Bertold looked at himself, nothing was different with him, as far as he could tell._

_"What are you saying?"_

_"Do you know where we are? We are 40 miles outside of Shinganshina. We're in Titan Territory, where this power is safe to use!" Bertold looked at him like he was insane. What the hell, powers?_

_"My powers?"_

_"That doctor injected you with his formula, but it was too risky! We can't have you inside the walls. You'll bring only death and destruction."_

_"What are you talking about? I don't remember getting injected by any doctor! And I'm sure Annie and Reiner would've remembered them too!" Bertold tried to run but the man cut him off with the cart again._

_"Shut up kid. Get back into the cart and we can still save humanity!"_

_"No..." Bertold ran back towards Shinganshina. His legs burned as he sprinted, and the man followed him on horseback, Annie and Reiner still not able to help._

_Bertold found an abandoned building complex along the road and dashed in, hiding._

_Footsteps, poking, rustling._

_Footsteps, creaking. BANG._

_The man banged at the door Bertold hid behind, and the boy jolted. He was sweating and his breathing was ragged._

_"Let's make this easy for us kid! We can still learn to control you-"_

_"NO! There is no doctor! You're just another of those sick pedophiles that kidnap children! You're just making up some BS Story!"_

_Bertold, in one swift motion, unhinged the door and kicked as hard as he could. The impact knocked over the man and made a hole in the frame-_

Bertold came to. The gate under his foot lay swung open like a cabinet. He looked upon the small town in front of him, and the ants stared back.

He had doomed humanity. He had breached Wall Maria. What was he?


End file.
